Bailey is a former councilman and high school government teacher. Davis is in his second term on the council and owns a small business. Martinez is a student and sales consultant at CarMax. Melendez is assistant director of the Riverside Community College District Foundation. Moreno is a skin care consultant who blogs on city issues. Small has worked as a real estate broker and is listed on the ballot as an “outdoor pot grower.”

All the candidates except Small have attended at least one forum, where they discussed issues such as the city’s budget deficit, marijuana dispensaries, the role of the mayor, the two city ballot measures and Bailey’s streetcar proposal.

It would allow the city attorney to handle misdemeanor crimes that are now prosecuted by the Riverside County District Attorney. These include assault, prostitution, commercial burglary, animal cruelty, graffiti, child abuse and domestic violence.

City Attorney Gary Geuss has said it would cost about $2.23 million a year to hire 12 more attorneys who would take on an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 cases annually. In light of recent budget concerns, supporters of the measure have said that the city could delay creating a prosecutor’s office or phase it in as finances improve.

Geuss says the measure would provide more resources to address “quality of life” issues by having city lawyers work closely with police and the community, in some cases resolving problems without filing charges.

Opponents, include District Attorney Mike Hestrin, say the measure would cost more than Geuss estimates and would be an unnecessary and ineffective duplication of services the county provides.

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